Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe (2024)

Hollandaise Sauce sounds fancy but it is truly easy to make. It’s often drizzled over a classic dish of Eggs Benedict with crispy bacon, toasted English muffins, and Poached Eggs.

If you’re a lover of French-style breakfast foods, also try your hand at making our Perfect Omelette, Quiche Lorraine, or Crepes.

Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe (1)

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What is Classic Hollandaise Sauce?

Hollandaise sauce is one of the five “mother sauces” in French cuisine and consists of egg yolks, butter, lemon juice, and water whisked to creamy perfection over low heat. When preparing this decadent recipe, opt for high-quality eggs and butter – it makes all the difference. I prefer to get grass-fed butter for its deep yellow color and organic eggs.

Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe (2)

Hollandaise Sauce Ingredients

  • Egg yolks – separate your eggs and use the yolks only which help thicken up the sauce. Save the egg whites for a healthy Egg White Omelette the next day!
  • Lukewarm water – To regulate the temperature of the sauce, add lukewarm water.
  • Lemon juice – The acid from the lemon juice helps the egg yolks absorb more fat from butter and adds a nice pop of tang. You also need it to prevent cracks and help the sauce thicken up.
  • Dijon mustard – adds a great layer of flavor and bite to the sauce.
  • Unsalted butter – Butter is the key ingredient to helping your hollandaise emulsify and thicken up to a nice consistency.
  • Salt – We use fine sea salt in 99% of our cooking. Feel free to adjust the amount you use to your taste.
  • Cayenne pepper – If you love a kick of heat, add cayenne pepper to taste.
Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe (3)

How to Make Hollandaise Sauce

  1. Separate the Eggs – add yolks to a small non-reactive saucepan and save whites for another recipe.
  2. Add water, lemon juice and dijon and whisk together until well combined.
  3. Add Butter – Slice the butter into small pieces and toss them into the saucepan.
  4. Cook the Hollandaise – Place saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking the sauce constantly and vigorously until the melted butter turns the mixture frothy. Continue whisking until the sauce just starts to thicken and coats the back of a spoon.
  5. Remove the Sauce from Heat – Once thickened, immediately remove the sauce from heat and season it with more cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Serve immediately or cover to keep warm.

Pro Tip: Make sure to whisk the sauce the entire time it’s over heat or the eggs will scramble!

Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe (4)

To Serve

Aside from traditional Eggs Benedict, there are many ways to serve hollandaise sauce:

  • Over Potatoes – use it as a topping for oven baked potato wedges or boiled potatoes.
  • On Vegetables – For a quick and fancy veggie side dish, drizzle the hollandaise over air fryer asparagus or air fryer broccoli.
  • With Protein – use it as a topping for salmon or steak.
Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe (5)

Make-Ahead

  • Storing: To keep hollandaise fresh, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. This will prevent it from soaking up any lingering smells in your refrigerator.
  • Reheating: To warm it back up, use a double boiler on the stovetop to reheat it over a steam bath (direct heat is prone to burning the delicate sauce). If you don’t have a double broiler, you can keep the sauce in the airtight container and let it sit in hot water for 25 minutes.

Common Questions

What is the difference between Hollandaise and Bearnaise sauce?

While they are super similar in texture and ingredients, there are key differences in the way that they are seasoned. Bearnaise typically contains shallots, peppercorns, tarragon, vinegar and wine.

What texture should hollandaise sauce be?

A perfect hollandaise sauce will be perfectly silky and creamy. A poorly made hollandaise will be runny or overly gummy from cooking it at too high of a heat.

Why did your hollandaise sauce crack?

Your hollandaise sauce will crack if it’s cooked at too high of a heat. This will cause the dairy to cook too quickly, resulting in cracks. Keep the heat over medium-low and let the sauce cook gradually.

Why is your hollandaise sauce runny and not thickening?

Your hollandaise sauce will turn out runny if you don’t whisk it vigorously and consistently while it’s heating. Aerating the mixture helps make it light, fluffy and thick. Also, avoid substitutions or modifications.

Why did my hollandaise sauce break?

Heating over too high of heat can cause the hollandaise sauce to break. Also make sure to use a non-reactive skillet. Avoid cast iron or copper which can react with the lemon juice.

More Homemade Sauces

  • Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
  • Easy Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
  • Horseradish Sauce
  • Homemade Marinara Sauce
  • Tartar Sauce

Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe

4.97 from 169 votes

Author: Natalya Drozhzhin

Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe (7)

Hollandaise Sauce is a French sauce that sounds fancy but is truly easy to make. It's served for breakfast or brunch over Eggs Benedict.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 10 minutes mins

Ingredients

Servings: 4 servings

  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 Tbsp lukewarm water
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, (8 Tbsp)
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, or more to taste
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste

Instructions

  • Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Store the egg whites in an airtight container in the fridge for another recipe.

  • Add the egg yolks to a small non-reactive saucepan with water, lemon juice, and dijon, and whisk until well-combined.

  • Cut the butter into small pieces and add them to the egg mixture.

  • Place the pot over medium-low heat, whisking the mixture constantly. As the butter melts, it will get a little frothy. Continue whisking constantly for about 3 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken then immediately remove from heat. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

  • Season with salt and cayenne pepper, adding more seasoning to taste. Serve right away or cover to keep warm. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a teaspoon of warm water to loosen it up.

Nutrition Per Serving

234kcal Calories1g Carbs2g Protein25g Fat15g Saturated Fat1g Polyunsaturated Fat7g Monounsaturated Fat1g Trans Fat158mg Cholesterol160mg Sodium21mg Potassium1g Fiber1g Sugar865IU Vitamin A1mg Vitamin C19mg Calcium1mg Iron

Nutrition Facts

Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe

Amount per Serving

Calories

234

% Daily Value*

Fat

25

g

38

%

Saturated Fat

15

g

94

%

Trans Fat

1

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

7

g

Cholesterol

158

mg

Sodium

160

mg

7

%

Potassium

21

mg

1

%

Carbohydrates

1

g

%

Fiber

1

g

4

%

Sugar

1

g

1

%

Protein

2

g

4

%

Vitamin A

865

IU

17

%

Vitamin C

1

mg

1

%

Calcium

19

mg

2

%

Iron

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: French

Keyword: hollandaise recipe, hollandaise sauce

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $

Calories: 234

Natalya Drozhzhin

Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe (8)

Natalya is a food blogger who founded Momsdish.com to make cooking easier. Growing up on a farm in Ukraine, Natalya was inspired by the amazing dishes that were prepared using simple ingredients. Natalya is most notably known for making cooking approachable for any person.

Read more posts by Natalya

Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the basic formula for hollandaise? ›

In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, cold water, salt and pepper. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Gradually whisk yolk mixture into butter. Continue whisking over low heat for 8 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.

What is a common mistake with hollandaise sauce? ›

The most common mistake people make with Hollandaise is adding melted butter that is too hot, or adding too much too soon. When this happens, the emulsion breaks — it becomes thin and grainy. If your butter is too hot, just stop making the Hollandaise for a minute or two to allow the butter to cool.

What is hollandaise sauce made of? ›

Hollandaise sauce (/hɒlənˈdeɪz/ or /ˈhɒləndeɪz/; French: [ɔlɑ̃dɛz]), meaning Dutch sauce in French, is a mixture of egg yolk, melted butter, and lemon juice (or a white wine or vinegar reduction). It is usually seasoned with salt, and either white pepper or cayenne pepper.

What are the ingredients in store bought hollandaise sauce? ›

BUTTERMILK, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, MODIFIED MILK INGREDIENTS, DEXTROSE, PALM OIL SHORTENING, SALT, YEAST EXTRACT, DEHYDRATED ONION, GLUCOSE SOLIDS, SOY LECITHIN, CITRIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM, INACTIVE YEAST, SPICES, HIGH OLEIC SUNFLOWER OIL, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SPICE EXTRACTIVES (INCLUDING TURMERIC, PAPRIKA), CALCIUM SILICATE ...

How to make hollandaise sauce Gordon Ramsay? ›

First make the hollandaise sauce. Using a large balloon whisk, beat the egg yolks with a squeeze of lemon juice and seasoning in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Beat vigorously for about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens.

What is the liquid base of hollandaise sauce? ›

"Hollandaise sauce is a warm emulsion of egg yolks and liquid, bound together with clarified butter."

Why is hollandaise so hard to make? ›

Traditional hollandaise, made by emulsifying melted clarified butter into egg yolks and lemon juice, is notoriously difficult to make. You not only have to take the same care in its construction as you take for oil-in-egg-yolk mayonnaise, but you also have to deal with the fickle nature of hot eggs and butter.

What's the difference between Benedict sauce and hollandaise sauce? ›

It's what happens next that sets them apart: Hollandaise gets its acidity from lemon juice (sometimes vinegar) and is usually seasoned with salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper. Béarnaise, meanwhile, builds upon hollandaise with white wine vinegar, shallots, tarragon, and other fresh herbs.

What thickens hollandaise sauce? ›

How do you fix a runny hollandaise? Blenders tend to make runny hollandaise - it's usually because the butter was too cold and hasn't cooked the eggs enough to thicken them. To thicken a runny hollandaise, tip the mixture into a heatproof bowl set over simmering water and whisk over the heat until thickened.

Does homemade hollandaise sauce keep? ›

Hollandaise sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. To store hollandaise, place it in an airtight container and make sure that the hollandaise is cooled down before you put it away.

What is a fun fact about hollandaise sauce? ›

Popular theory places its origin to a town in Normandy, France called "Isigny-Sur-Mer", known for its high-quality butter. According to history, France couldn't produce its own butter during the First World War and imported it from Holland – which led to it being known as Hollandaise.

What are 3 derivatives of hollandaise sauce? ›

Some of the Hollandaise sauce derivatives are:
  • Maltaise – Hollandaise, juice, and zest of blood orange (late-season fruit is best).
  • Mousseline – Hollandaise, whipped cream.
  • Béarnaise – Tarragon, white wine, and vinegar reduction, fresh chervil, and tarragon.
  • Foyot – Béarnaise, reduced Espagnole, and brandy.

Do they make pre made hollandaise sauce? ›

Hollandaise sauce yields 33 servings of sauce per container

Knorr® Hollandaise gives you one less thing to think about. Ready to go — straight from the pack.

What is the main ingredients and thickening agent in a hollandaise sauce? ›

Hollandaise is an emulsified sauce in which egg yolks serve as both the emulsifier, and the thickening agent. The finale consistency of your sauce will be determined by how much fat is emulsified in and how much the egg yolks are cooked. The more you cook the egg yolks, the thicker your hollandaise will be.

What is the base of hollandaise one of the 5 mother sauces? ›

Hollandaise and its derivative sauces are often served over eggs, vegetables, or lighter meats like poultry and fish. It's worth mentioning that hollandaise is derived from mayonnaise and hasn't always been classified as a mother sauce. Hollandaise combines egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice.

What ingredient acts as the emulsifier in hollandaise? ›

The butter breaks into minute droplets, while the egg yolk acts as an emulsifier, helping to keep those droplets dispersed, as well as thickening the sauce. What you get is a creamy, smooth sauce with a rich texture and mild flavor, perfect for topping eggs, fish, or vegetables.

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